The Latest

So I have noticed that when Dawson finds something new to do or something new he learned he likes to do it over and over until the new latest thing occupies him. So lately, Dawson has a few things he just loves! One thing is saying "Uh-Oh." This is usually said after he throws something down while he is in his car seat, stroller, or high chair. Another thing he is fascinated with is belly-buttons. Yes, very oddly enough, belly-buttons. One day Chris was laying on the floor watching tv ad he crawled up to him and lifted up the bottom of his shirt to discover Dad and had a belly-button. He will do this to anyone now, not just Mom and Dad. My wonderful, odd, belly-button loving child. Moving on, he loves to show DVD's under the oven. One by one he will pull a DVD off the shelf, push it across the kitchen, shove it under my oven, and repeat. This happened when I wasn't paying attention of course. He also LOVES the green glitter icicle ornaments on my tree. They are long and thin and easy to grab and make great noise when you bang them together. Dawson has also discovered what we call the "cheesy grin." When he is in a goofy mood he will squint his eyes up, give us a big gummy smile and laugh. It makes us laugh everytime, which he loves. He will do something over and over again just to make us laugh. He is such a little performer. And last but not least, he LOVES LOVES LOVES his animal book and Elmo. For his birthday he got this big thick book about animals and he will sit there turning the pages making his little noises "reading" and "talking" to the animals. Also for his birthday he got some Elmo's World DVD's from my family and everytime one goes on and Elmo starts singing he gets so excited and starts kicking his legs and dancing. So of course anything Elmo related he loves. He got an Elmo doll from his Aunt Heather and a book from Mommy that he lights up at everytime he sees. You have got to love how easily amused kids are and how much fun they are to watch!

Dawson's First Haircut

The other day Dawson woke up with a major bedhead doo...his hair was practically standing on end on top and in the back. It was then I realized his hair is getting kinda long, especially in back where it was looking a little bit too much like a mullet! So I went online and found this super cute kid's haircut place called Cookie Cutters. The moment we walked in the door Dawson LOVED this place. There was a tv playing kid's shows, a big slide and play area, I mean come on, who wouldn't want to get their haircut there! So when it was his turn we got to pick out a movie of his choice (we chose Elmo, his fav) and we got to pick what he sat in (a firetruck) and they gave him a sucker too! It was perfect cause he is such a mover that he needed all those distractions...which worked cause he did great! He just sat there and played with the truck, ate his sucker, watched Elmo, and watched Mommy blow bubbles. Since it was his first haircut they took his picture and printed it out on a certificate with his name and the date AND a little bag with a lock of his baby hair! We left with a happy mom loving his shorter hair and a happy little boy cause he got a balloon!

Snow Day

Yesterday it snowed and snowed and snowed here in Utah until we got about about 5-6 inches of snow. So of course, Christopher being the big kid at heart that he is decided he wanted to take Dawson outside to play in the snow. Well, Dawson didn't have a snow suit and we had a busy day so at 9:30pm last night we were in Walmart buying Dawson a snowsuit so he could go play out in the snow with Daddy. So we went to church, Dawson napped, ate lunch, and finally it was time to go play! Well, of course he had to get all bundled up which he HATES so he screamed for ten minutes followed by probably ten more minutes of sitting there whining cause he couldn't move (does A Christmas Story pop into mind where the little boy can't put his arms down? Yep it looked just like that.) So the three of us headed outside (I was the photographer) and Dawson was wide eyed! He sat there in the snow just looking around smiling, it was so funny. Christopher attached a rope to a snow tube so he could pull Dawson all around the yard and he giggled the whole time. We were all having tons of fun...until the slide incident. We have a little play gym in the backyard for him so I put him on it, he slide down, and being all bundled up with no control flew face first into the snow. Oops! (In my defense he loves the slides at Gymboree and does just fine on those.) So needless to say, there were many tears, one cold little face, a mom who felt horrible, and snow time was over. At least we got a few cute pictures out of it right?

Sleepy Head

These pictures were taken the other day as Dawson was waking up from a nap and I thought they were hilarious. The first one looks like he is saying "come guys I just woke up, I have bed head, don't take my picture." The second one looks like he is saying "you just took a picture of me I can't believe you." The third one is classic Dawson, just a happy, easy going smiling little guy, even if two seconds earlier he was a bit cranky. I love it because even if he is a little cranky, just woke up, or just got his diaper change he is so easy to smile or laugh and be happy the next second.

Hairspray!

Just saw Hairspray...love it....gonna go buy the soundtrack now...maybe I'll start wearing my hair in a beehive...

A Few Random Things

So, I had a request for a picture of me with my new extensions and I finally had Christopher take a picture of me so here you go! They are only a couple inches longer than my hair but they blended better that way. The thing that I love the most is that my hair feels thick! I have been cursed with stick straight thin and fine hair that goes flat by afternoon and my extensions keeps my hair looking full. I even put them in if I am just wearing a ponytail cause it gives me a long thick ponytail, I'm a dork right? They are SO super easy though, I have two tracks and they just clip in one above the other around the base of my head. I recommend them to everyone if you want long hair for $40!
In other news, Christopher got his birthday/anniversary/Christmas gift yesterday and is in pure bliss right now! He got a 42 inch LCD flat panel tv, which he has been eying for awhile now. I told him if he worked a few extra shifts and was fine with getting nothing else for the holidays, then it's his. Aren't guys and electronics funny? To me, it's just another tv. Either way I still get to watch America's Next Top Model (yes, sadly addicted.) I am happy that Christopher is happy though and he is a good husband and dad so he deserves it. When he was mounting it on our wall yesterday Dawson just had to be in on the action. He loved playing with the measuring tape and leveler and looking in Daddy's tool box...such a boy. He would just stand right by Chris and watch everything he did. Too cute, like father like son.

Birthday Boy!

Dawson is ONE!!! I just cannot believe it. Where has the year gone? My baby has officially entered toddlerhood. To celebrate this wonderful milestone we had a bug themed birthday party on Saturday with friends and family. I found some super cute ideas online for it. Dawson had tons of fun ripping paper off his presents and I think he wanted to play with the paper more than the presents. He sure made out like a bandit though- he got a wagon (from us), play tunnel, a basketball hoop from our friends, a baby's first MP3 player from grandparents (yes you read it right), and a bounce and spin zebra (from the other set of grandparents) amongst many other things. We saved the cake for last since I knew he would be getting messy--and boy was it a good thing- he tore into his cupcake we gave him! Someone Christopher works with makes super cute cakes so for Dawson's birthday she made not one but two ladybug cakes and a dozen little ladybug cupcakes. SO cute. The only thing was the frosting was red and black and Christopher's family had pictures two hours after the party...oops. Dawson was stained pink, but after about 4 scrubs and lots of wailing, he was back to normal. Since today was his actual birthday we felt we should do a little something, so we had a family day and took him to Build a Bear to make his first bear and then we went to The Cheesecake Factory to eat (ok, so maybe that was more for us but hey, they just built one here!) They were so nice there, at the end they brought out a little ice cream sundae and sang to the birthday boy. I would have to say, it was a great first birthday for him and he is definitely a very spoiled and loved little boy. Thanks everyone :)

Tagged!

The Rules: Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags six people and posts their names then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Have fun!

I've been tagged by my cute friend Carrie, here it is:

1. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a stay at home mom! I think it is so great to be able to take care of Dawson. I am my own boss, I can take my work with me (sometimes Dawson doesn't always like it but hey, he survives), and I can wear sweats and jeans if I want! But really, I just love Dawson to pieces and it is so fun being able to see him grow up and watch every little thing he does. I want to stay at home forever, even when my kids are older I want to be here at home with cookies I made when they get home from school asking them how their day was.

2. My hubby is the best. We have been married almost five years (December 3rd) and he still buys me flowers all the time, he leaves me cute notes, opens the doors, and is just such a sweet husband. He is such a goof, makes me laugh, and he is a really good dad. He is very hands on with Dawson, always willing to help change diapers, feed him, and give him baths. Dawson loves playing with his Daddy.

3. I'm a neat freak. Growing up I never was. I was a pack rat and I hated to clean my room but now my house HAS to be clean. I don't like it when things are left out or laying around. Clutter=yuck. I like a clean kitchen, I like my house to smell nice, I like everything in its proper place, and for some reason I hate when my kitchen towels are crooked. I know, I know, I sound crazy right?

4. I just got some clip in hair extensions and I am obsessed with them. For only $40 I now am able to have the long, thick hair I always wanted as a little girl. I took them to my mother in law who does hair and she dyed my hair to match and cut and blended them into my hair so they look real. I have to admit, for the first couple of days I kept looking at myself in the mirror and smiling and playing with my hair. :)

5. I enjoy interior design. I think it's a lot of fun decorating my house. I love finding great deals on things and painting the walls and changing it up. My house is more country style, but not the shabby country more nice.

6. Some of my favorites: Classic roast dinner and pie for dessert, the color pink, traveling to warm places with a beach, a cute pair of matchy sweats, diet coke, fall time, scrapbooking, Old Navy, America's Next Top Model, Father of the Bride, and taking baths. AND of course my boys!

Those are my six things. I don't know six other bloggers yet so I am tagging Andrea, Ashley, and Holly. I look forward to hearing some fun facts and quirks about you guys!

Yummy In My Tummy

Lately, Dawson is interested in everything you eat, which is a big step for him because usually he could care less when it comes to food. He has always been picky and whiny when it comes time to eat and if you try to give him some "people food" like a little piece of fruit, bread, noodle, etc. he spits it out faster then you can put it in and gives you a look of disgust. Now, when we sit there and are eating dinner or some sort of meal, he watches you and opens his mouth wide when you give him something. After you put it in his mouth he makes the funniest face, a look of uncertainty and interest....if he likes it he keeps it in his mouth, if not he spits it out dramatically. If I am eating a snack or something while he is playing he crawls up to me and sits there like a little puppy dog waiting to get fed. It's pretty funny to watch. The other day I was laying on the ground eating a cinnamon roll and next thing I knew Dawson was on the other side of the cinnamon roll eating it as well. No need to wait for me to finish taking a bite, he ate when I ate! He sure loved that frosting!

Give Me Something Good to Eat!

Dawson had a very fun first Halloween! This year he was a lion (as shown in a previous blog) and he went trick or treating for the first time with Daddy and Uncle Jeremy. They lasted a good 20 minutes or so, until he spit up (darn reflux) and got cranky. One thing is certain though....Dawson has a sweet tooth! He loves suckers and when he sees one he reaches his little arms and hands as far out as he can and whimpers like a little puppy dog! We put his candy in the bowl with the candy we handed out and he loves to play in it and dump it out. He has the right idea with it, he puts any piece of candy directly in his mouth...but doesn't realize he has to unwrap it! We were able to get a couple of really cute photo ops with Dawson and a couple of his little friends too. The tiger is his little friend Cameron, and they are half-birthday buddies. The kangaroo is his friend Addy from church. I would say it was a spooktacular first Halloween!

Dawson Selin

Name: Dawson Christopher Selin
Age: 11 months 3 weeks
Birthday: November 12, 2006
Weight: Approx. 18-20 pounds
Length: About 29-30 inches
Hair Color: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Likes: Bottles, long crawls around the house, sweet potatoes, blowing raspberries, clapping, baths, pears, Mommy, Daddy, playing with the kitty, older kids, and did I say Mommy?
Dislikes: Getting his nose clean, getting dressed, getting his diaper changed, green beans, getting strapped in his car seat, long shopping trips
Daytime Activities: Playing with toys, exploring, eating, drinking bottles, taking naps, running errands with Mommy, Gymborree, the park, and getting into things.
What I Want to Be When I Grow Up: Right now I like banging on things so maybe a professional drummer? I also like figuring out how things work so maybe an Engineer.
My Heroes: Mommy and Daddy
Favorite Vacation: Visiting my Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunts in Illinois

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Some friends in the ward threw a Monday night Family Home Evening Halloween party tonight and it was a riot! Everyone brought some food to share, all the kids played downstairs in the Cole's basement (it is toy central down there) and the adults all chatted and played games. Unfortunately, Chris had to work so it was just me and Dawson. Dawson was a lion of course, which only lasted about 15 minuted then I took it off so he could crawl and play. As for me, my friend and neighbor Sheri and I decided we would dress up eighties style! I had a lot of fun putting my costume together, and was surprised with how many "eighties" style items I owned, maybe since I was born in '83? Who knows. But it paid off in the end cause I won best female adult costume! Now if I could only get the song "Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun" out of my head and stop picturing myself in a Cindi Lauper music video...

Dawson's New Favorite Toy

We like keep a piece of PVC pipe in the window track of our sliding glass door for an added safety measure, but it doesn't stay in the window track. Why? Because Dawson discovered it and now it is like some hidden treasure that he has to always go and pull out and play with. At first I would say no and put it back and redirect his attention but he got smart and stopped buying it. So, Dawson pretty much won this one. I try to keep the window track clean, not think about the dirt, make sure he doesn't stick it in his mouth, and let him go about his fun. Maybe the novelty will wear off right??

Pre-Halloween Treat!

Two weekends ago when Dawson and I went to visit my family in Illinois, we went up to their camper in Amboy, IL. They have a permanent spot there at the Yogi Bear campground, and we decided it was a perfect time to go being a three day weekend for Columbus Day and it also being the campground's Halloween Weekend. For it they have a haunted barn the campground puts on, a Halloween costume contest, pumpkin carving, trick or treating, and many other fun festivities to partake in. There was only one downside to the weekend...it was like, 90 degrees and Dawson's Halloween costume is a lion that is fleece and stuffed! So poor Dawson had to get dressed up, got a nose and whiskers drawn on his face, and was toted around by his mom and aunts to various campsites to trick or treat. We didn't go far though, just around the immediate area; and I didn't feel like too horrible of a mom cause there where a lot of other sweaty looking kids. Dawson didn't do it all for nothing either...afterwards he got to be stripped down to his diaper and got a sucker. In the end everyone was happy...grandma, grandpa and his aunts got to see him dressed up, Dawson got a dum dum and some animal crackers, and I got to eat the candy Dawson couldn't eat. Not bad.

The Pumpkin Patch

When Dawson and I were in Chicago visiting my family we went to Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch. I was the one that insisted we go because it was a family tradition me and my sisters loved and looked forward to growing up. Once you get there you can take a hayride out to the field to pick your pumpkin, you can eat YUMMY apple cider donuts at the Farmer's Wife Cafe, you can pet animals at the petting zoo, shop at the Farmer's Market, and take cute pictures all around the many cute displays there. Dawson's favorite parts were all the animals in the petting zoo, watching little kids run around, and "driving" the wooden car. My favorite parts were the donuts, shopping at the market, and taking lots of cute pictures of Dawson. Here are a few for you to enjoy!

The Greatest Show on Earth!

Last Saturday the three of us got bundled up (it was a VERY wet and cold day), headed downtown, and went to the circus with our friends Tammy, Rob, Brandy, and Dave! Although Dawson really didn't understand what the circus is, he seemed to really enjoy it and was a very good boy for the duration of it. His favorite parts seemed to be any act that was bright, loud, and flashy! There was a big tv suspended from the ceiling that you could watch the circus from as well (more for those sitting in nosebleed) but Dawson seemed to watch that more than the actual circus, no matter how many times we tried to point out that it was right there in front of us....maybe it was the tall guy sitting in front of us...who knows. Despite snoozing for the last half hour of the show, Dawson seemed to have a fun time at the circus, and he even walked away with a new, ridiculously priced white tiger stuffed animal. (First picture is Tammy and Rob, second is Brandy and Dave, the third is us, Dawson sleeping with his new tiger.)

Fall Time!

I love fall and I am so excited it is finally cooling off (a little) and I look forward to the leaves changing, going to Witches Night Out, wearing cozy sweaters, taking Dawson trick or treating, baking yummy goodies, and making soups and comfort foods. I love to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and muffins, caramel apple crisp, enchilada soup, and chili. Which brings me to the point of this blog. I am always looking for yummy baked goodies, soups, chili's, or warm comforting fall food recipes, so whoever reads this if you have a yummy recipe will you post it in my comments? I would love to try something new! Even if you just have a recipe that doesn't fall into the "fall" food category but you think it's a good one, go ahead and pass it along! The other great thing is, if everyone posts something then everyone can also look at the other recipes and get some new ones themselves. It's like a mini recipe exchange! Here is one I will give you, it's one of my favorites and my friend Brandy gave it to me.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins:
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 t cinnamon
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 15oz. can pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 bag chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and sugar. Add oil and pumpkin, combine. In a separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix. Mix in chocolate chips. Spray or line muffin tins. Fill 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until done. ENJOY!

I Like The Way You Move!

I have really enjoyed watching Dawson play and move. As he gets older he learns more and more how to move his body and how to do things and I just love watching him. Here are some of the things that he does that makes him look like such a little person:
1. He can hold on to the couch or some sort of object and walk.
2. As he is holding on to something he can bend down and grab something with one hand.
3. He can drink his bottle sitting up holding it with one hand.
4. He will start to "dance" if there is music on and you dance.
5. He can pick up tiny little things on the floor with his thumb and first finger (which scares me.)
6. Using the shower curtain, a blanket or something he will play peek-a-boo with you.
7. He will sit on his knees with his legs tucked under him and play with a toy (he looks like such a little boy when he does that!)
8. He can open the cabinet his toys are in.
9. One day at gymboree, we were by some foam stairs and he started to climb up them all of a sudden.
10. He can put the balls in his giraffe toy's mouth.
Among that he does lots of other funny goofy things, like the other day he figured out he can shake his head back and forth so he sporadically does that as well. He is just such a cute funny little guy! P.S. We thought the picture enclosed was funny, he was just playing there drinking his bottle on his stomach!

Six Aunts and An Uncle

Dawson has six very cute and adorable aunts and one uncle, so you could say that his uncle Jeremy is one special guy! Dawson's aunts all are so cute with him, they coo and cuddle and fawn over him like any aunt would do, but uncle Jeremy will play and play hard with Dawson! I know Dawson always has a ton of fun with uncle Jeremy because uncle Jeremy with lift him high in the air, tickle him, roughhouse, make sound effects and play all sorts of fun games with him. The other day uncle Jeremy was pushing Dawson all around the house on his giraffe toy making "car" noises. They would go super fast then all of a sudden skid to a stop then start up again. It was so cute to watch and Dawson loved it! Even though he probably doesn't realize it, I am sure Dawson is excited to have at least one uncle to do "boy stuff" with!

Nostalgic...

Every now and then I like to look through Dawson's picture file on our computer to see pictures now compared to when he was first born and I always get a little saddened at how fast the time has gone. Just yesterday it seemed he was a little newborn that just laid in my arms and as of tomorrow he is a ten month old crawling, babbling, standing, and getting into everything. I remember when he was just a couple months old I would think "it will be so much fun one day when he is crawling and playing" and now here is that day and I miss him being a newborn! On the other side of it, the other day I saw this little 3 year old boy talking and laughing with his mom and I thought "it will be so much fun to see what kind of little boy Dawson will be." I had to stop myself because that day will be here before I know it and I will be missing today! I have learned I need to try to enjoy every minute with Dawson and enjoy each stage to the fullest because it will only happen once. It's crazy how time flies, but I have loved being a MOM!

Anybody Got Any Toilet Paper?

I had to laugh and take a picture the other day because Dawson was crawling around with toilet paper stuck on his foot! When ever I am in the bathroom getting ready in the morning, Dawson always ends up playing with the toilet paper. He loves to unwind it, rip it, ball it up, and stick it in his mouth (yes I have to pull little bits of toilet paper off his mouth.) Most the time I think ahead and pull it off and set it where he can't get to it, but every now and then I forget. So the other day after I was done getting ready and he was done playing with it, we headed out to the kitchen and I looked down at him and he had a piece of toilet paper stuck to his foot. I had to laugh because what is usually a "public embarrassment" he had no clue and just smiled and went about his own business. Can't we all just be like babies and not get embarrassed over anything??

Sarah and Dawson's Wonderful Wednesdays!

I love Wednesdays! Dawson started a Gymboree class a few weeks ago and we have so much fun going to them! For those of you who have never heard of Gymboree, it's a play gym and you can take fun classes divided into age groups (for example, Dawson is in level 3, 10-16 months.) There are about 8 or 9 other babies in his class and we sing songs, play games, play on slides, tunnels, foam wedges, and lots of other stuff. They have bubble time which Dawson loves, and they also have a big parachute that the babies sit on top of and under as the Mom's wave it up and down. Afterwards we go out to lunch. After all that he zonks out during the car ride home. Today we tried a new place called Paradise Bakery and Cafe for lunch and it was sooo good! For those of you who know Panera, it's a lot like that. They have a bakery with cookies, muffins, breads, and they also make breakfast to order. Then they have the lunch area where they make sandwiches and salads right there in front of you and they also have soups. I recommend the turkey artichoke panini with chicken and wild rice soup...yum! Your lunch also comes with a very yummy cookie. I think Dawson and I are going to have to go there for lunch every time now for our little Wednesday outing of Gymboree and lunch. What a wonderful Wednesday!

Park City!

Christopher, Dawson, My sister in law Jen, her husband Jeremy, my other sister in law Heather, cousin Selina, and I all took a last minute planned trip to Park City for Labor Day. We went Sunday night and stayed in a condo down there. We had a ton of fun! We went out to eat and then played games and watched a movie on Sunday. The next day we made a yummy breakfast then went to the outlet malls (it was super busy) and hit a ton of great sales. After that we walked on Main street a bit then sadly headed home. We all had a ton of fun and a lot of laughs. I love having Park City so close, it's a great place for a quick getaway. If any of you want a fun vacation, I recommend it! Pictures will follow later tonight! I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Dawson's Toy

Dawson has had this toy for a few weeks now, but he is really starting to love it...and I love it too! He used to come and crawl all over me and use me to stand, so I decided he needed a fun toy he could play with while standing up...a la giraffe! As soon as he sees this toy he goes straight to it and stands and plays. He even figured out how to put the balls in the mouth to play the music. He no longer uses me as a toy either! He is becoming such an independent little boy...he loves to explore and figure things out and watch how they work. Maybe I have a future engineer on my hands? Or an Architect?

Bathtubs, Dishwashers, and Laundry

For some reason lately, Dawson has been intrigued with three things...the bathtub, the dishwasher, and the laundry closet where the washer and dryer are. Anytime I go do laundry Dawson is right there standing up holding on to the basket or dryer door. He loves to watch me put clothes in and out of the washer and dryer and he likes to "help" by pulling clothes out of the basket. He also loves the dishwasher. He stands or sits in front of it and "kisses" himself and bangs on it. The other thing he loves is the tub. I dunno if it's because we transitioned him from sitting in the sink to the tub for bath time, or because his bath toys are on the side of the tub, or because it's the perfect height for him to stand and hold on to, but he loves the tub! Every morning as soon as I turn on the shower and step in, he is there standing at the foot of the tub, pushing back the curtain and peeking around. He stands there and plays with the toys, sticks his hand out to feel the water, and loves when I get all soapy! It's so funny. I love watching him watch the world and being fascinated by it. What will be next....the linen closet? The refrigerator? I guess we will see!

Hello Blogging World!

So I have decided to finally start an online blog! I figured with so many friends and family scattered across the US, this would be the easiest way to keep everyone updated with what's going on with the three of us here in Utah! Christopher started training up at LDS hospital on the Cardiac ICU so when the new hospital is finished in October he will be ready to go. Dawson is everywhere now, crawling, standing, and even holding onto the couch and walking along it. I learned my lesson the other day when I left my Diet Coke on the end table. Without thinking twice, I went into the kitchen to start dinner to check around the corner a few minutes later to find Dawson "drinking" my Diet Coke! So in other words, it was all down the front of his shirt, all over the carpet, and end table. I could help but laugh and take a picture when he looked up at me and grinned with the can grasped between his hands. Too cute.